Page 84 of All Summer Long

When the band started to play, loud and powerful modern country, an undeniable thrill rippled down her spine. They sounded incredible, full and melodic, the kind of music that made her instantly want to get up and dance. Alice stopped thinking about anything at all other than Robinson Duff, because down there doing his stuff he was simply mesmerising. Electric. He had an effortlessly cool way about him, he looked entirely comfortable on stage, very definitely the boss. And that was all before he started to sing.

The moment he opened his mouth, Alice lost any tiny pieces of her heart she’d held on to. His voice filled every single bit of space in the arena with the upbeat song, clearly designed to kick off the concert with a bang. Jesus, if this was rehearsal, he was going to take the roof off this place when he did it for real tonight. The hairs on the back of Alice’s neck stood up when he turned to the guy on the drums and said something that caused the band to laugh. He laughed along with them, and the sound off his voice and his beautiful, easy laughter made her laugh too, her fingertips pressed against her trembling lips as tears slipped unchecked down her cheeks as she sat alone in the stands. His laugh had been the soundtrack to her summer, she hadn’t even realised how much she missed it until she heard it again. He bent and took a slug from a water bottle tucked behind a speaker and then picked out the opening notes of the next song on his guitar, something slower, bitter-sweet. Robinson’s whole demeanour changed too, rolling his shoulders tensely and glancing at the floor as he started to sing the opening verse of the love song. It was so achingly hard to listen to him sing about the woman he loved, his heart on his sleeve, pure and crystal clear.

Had he written the song for Lena? The screens around the stage zoomed in close on his face, and as she studied him from the safety of her seat, she finally saw what it was that had Marsh rattled enough to ship the crazy people of Borne across the world in time for the concert. Robinson had lonely eyes, and the melancholy words really had him on the ropes up there. It was one thing to put emotion into his performance. This was a long way beyond that. He looked as if he didn’t want to sing the words, as if they actually hurt him as they wrenched themselves from his throat. Without conscious thought, Alice was on her feet and moving down the aisle towards the stage, towards him.

He didn’t notice her as the words fell from his lips, and then he glanced over as she drew closer, probably a reflex reaction to spotting her movement out of the corner of his eye. He looked her way fleetingly and then back down at the floor, and then slowly, slowly he lifted his head again for a longer, more searching look. Either side of the stage she could see his face up on those digital screens, and she saw the exact moment he recognised who she was, that she was there in Nashville watching him. He was only part way through the song but the words faded away in his throat, and wary glints of incredulous hope lit his face as he narrowed his eyes to make sure they weren’t playing tricks on him.

And then it happened, that sexy, slow trademark smile that women the world over adored and Alice had missed every day since he’d left Borne. He shrugged his guitar off quickly and left it behind him on the stage as the band looked at each other in confusion, unsure whether to go on or not. They took it down a notch as they waited to see what happened next, curious spectators along with the crew and the staff of the arena who’d also stopped whatever they were doing to see what had caught Robinson’s attention.

It didn’t matter to Alice who else was in the arena. The only person in the building she could see was Robinson Duff, and from the way he clambered down from the stage and broke into a run to get to her, he was just as glad to see her as she was to see him. He slowed down when he was an arm’s length away, and suddenly anxious, Alice stopped too.

‘You’re really here, Goldilocks.’ His voice cracked, and his eyes raked searchingly over her face as if he couldn’t believe it even though she was barely three feet away. ‘You’re really here.’

She half laughed and half cried as she nodded, and he laughed too and closed the space between them in two quick strides. Alice closed her eyes as his hands moved around her, pulling her into the closest, sexiest hug of her life.

‘How?’ he said, tipping her chin up to look in her eyes, stroking her jaw.

Alice shrugged softly.

‘I was in town. Thought I’d come by and see the show,’ she said, as if it were the most casual coincidence in the world.

‘Sorry, pretty face. I think we’re sold out.’ He smiled, his hungry eyes still moving over her like a man looking at the winning lottery ticket in his hands.

‘Shame,’ she whispered, loving the familiarity of him under her hands again. ‘I came a long way to see you.’

‘You’re trembling,’ he said, and then at last, he lowered his mouth over hers and kissed her, long and emotional and so full of sweeping, bone-melting romance that it almost made the lonely weeks they’d spent apart worth all of the heartache. Alice swooned into him, her arms around his neck, her fingers buried in the back of his hair.

Up on stage the band finished the track and broke into a spontaneous round of cheers and applause, along with the crew and just about everyone else in the arena too.

Robinson cupped the back of her head in both hands and kissed her forehead, laughing.

‘You’ll stay?’ he said, and she didn’t know if he meant for the concert, for a holiday or for ever, but it didn’t matter because whichever he meant the answer was the same.

‘Yes.’

Behind them they heard a clatter of swing doors, and then Marsh came strutting towards them waving his Stetson in the air.

‘Thank you, Marsh!’ he yelled down at them. ‘Why, you’re welcome, Duff!’

Robinson pushed his hand through his hair and grinned, shaking his head at his manager.

‘You did this.’

‘Who needs Nicholas Cage to save the fuckin’ day when you’ve got me,’ Marsh shouted. ‘Now, moved as I am by … this,’ he rolled his eyes sarcastically and gestured between them with a wave of his hand, ‘by this thing, you need to hustle your ass out of here quick as a whip, little lady.’

Robinson held on to her hand. ‘No way. She stays with me.’

‘To distract you all day? No way on God’s green earth, son. Ain’t never gonna happen.’

Robinson opened his mouth to argue, but Alice reached up and kissed him to still the words on his lips.

‘It’s okay,’ she said. ‘Marsh is right. I’ll be back in time for the show.’ She glanced back at Marsh. ‘I hear there happens to be a spare seat after all.’

Marsh tapped his pocket, and Robinson nodded reluctantly.

‘Just don’t disappear on me afterwards,’ he said, running his thumb softly across her bottom lip.

‘No chance,’ she whispered, turning her face into his palm and pressing her lips there before stepping slowly away from him. ‘I’ll see you tonight.’

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